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Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Establishment and Characterization of UTI and CAUTI in a Mouse Model
Published on: June 23, 2015
Urogenital System Damaging Manifestations of 3 Human Infected Coronaviruses
Zilin Wang1,2, Daming Wang2, Yuqian Dai3
1Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Purpose:
At present, there are no comparative studies on the damage of the 3 coronaviruses infections to the urinary system. Therefore, we reviewed the correlations and differences between invading mechanisms and resultant urogenital system damage by the 3 kinds of coronaviruses in an effort to help doctors in the prevention and treatment of these damages, which will be of significance in improving prognosis and quality of life after rehabilitation.
Materials And Methods:
We searched PubMed® for English language articles published since 2003 with the key words "Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)," "severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2)," "severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV" and "Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV "with "semen" and "kidney." We also used relevant data from websites including the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Results:
Recent studies have revealed that both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 invade target cells through a membrane-bound angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, an important component of the renin-angiotensin system, which maintains human homeostasis, whereas MERS utilizes host cells' receptor dipeptidyl peptidase 4 for entry. While pneumonia is the most prominent symptom in patients infected by coronaviruses due to the transmission through respiratory droplets, the urogenital system can also suffer from infection with coronaviruses, resulting in renal failure, testicular atrophy etc. The impairments of the genitourinary system would be different with the 3 coronavirus infections but they still have a strong correlation.
Conclusions:
The pathogenesis and clinical symptoms of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses in the genitourinary system are comparable. All 3 coronaviruses have been found to affect kidney and testicular function. Therefore, both urologists and nephrologists should pay attention to the damage caused by coronavirus infection to the genitourinary system, especially monitoring renal and semen function.
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Disorders of the Urinary System
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common urinary system disorders. They are caused by bacteria that enter the urethra and can spread to the bladder resulting in cystitis. Pyelonephritis is the result of a UTI that has ascended to the level of the...